1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to garments and more particularly to indoor garments having enhanced ability to warm a wearer's neck.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Numerous garments have been developed to provide warmth over and above that which is available as body heat retained by elements of the garment itself. One known way to increase the warmth available from use of a garment is to incorporate a heating element into the garment. For example, commercially available air-activated heater packets may be inserted into a pocket in a garment. The heater packets generate heat that warm the wearer's body in the region near the heating packet.
A particularly important application of enhanced-warmth garments addresses adding heat at the wearer's neck. It is well known that the majority of the heat loss from a wearer's body is through the head. It is therefore very important that the head be kept warm during cold weather. By heating the blood passing through the neck on the way to the head, the head can be maintained at a warm temperature even in cold weather.
Another source of body heat loss concerns drafts. Even in indoor settings, a wearer sitting in a draft is susceptible to feeling cold. Such cold sensation is especially true for drafts, which blow over the wearer's head and neck. It is usually not desirable to wear outdoor clothing when indoors, merely to escape the cooling sensation produced by drafts.
Examples of prior garments used to warm the neck and having heater packets may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,302,806 and 5,605,144. Both of these patents disclose a jacket having a collar. The collar has a heater pouch, which can hold an air activated heater packet. However, the heater pouch is positioned against an outer layer of the collar such that the collar must be turned up against the wearer's neck in order to gain optimum use of the heat being generated. By contrast, with the jacket collar in the normal down orientation, the heat must traverse at least two layers of the collar material to reach the wearer's neck as opposed to only one layer to reach ambient air. Accordingly, a large fraction of the heat generated in such heater pocket is lost to ambient air. In addition, if the collar is turned down, the heater packet is visible for all to see, thus reducing the aesthetic appeal of the garment. Further, although the illustrated jacket is eminently suitable for cold weather outdoor wear, such jacket is not normally worn indoors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,261 discloses a dickey which encircles the neck. The dickey as illustrated is constructed of two layers of fabric. A receptacle pocket is defined in combination with at least one of the layers of fabric. An opening such as a slit or slot provides access to the receptacle near the back of the collar or over the chest of the wearer. A heater packet is inserted into the pocket. The free end of the collar is turned over one or more times to overlie the pocket and heater packet, or the access opening is hidden by an overlying article of clothing such as a sweater or shirt. Unless the collar is turned down, or the outer garment is worn over the dickie, the pocket with the heater packet is exposed to view. When the collar is turned over, or the outer garment is worn, the pocket and heater packet are hidden from view. However, because there are two layers of fabric between the heater packet and the wearer's neck, and only a single layer between the heater packet and ambient air, the effectiveness of the heater packet is diminished and a large fraction of the heat generated by the heater packet is lost to ambient air. Another disadvantage of the dickey of the U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,261 patent is that social custom dictates that another item of clothing be worn over the dickie, even indoors. In many instances, multiple garments are undesirable for wearing indoors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,374; 5,088,549; 5,247,928; and 5,265,669 show separate neckbands with pockets for holding heating devices. None of the foregoing is particularly attractive for indoor wearing; and none couple a heating device with an article of clothing that encircles a wearer's torso. Thus, a need exists for improvements in garments for keeping the neck warm.